Flesh and Blood, Skin and Bone
by MaskedNightmare
Summary: Jack needs some life in his life. When he gets an invitation to his sister's wedding he doesn't realize how much his life is about to change. On his way there he meets a stranger named Victor who attracts him like no other has. Is this his chance? ONESHOT


This is one of the oneshots that has been buzzing around my head for awhile. Short but sweet! I hope you guys enjoy it! Yes I tweaked timelines.

Alone up in his tower Jack looked at all the plans he had made for Halloween. The day had come and gone with the usual fanfare…with the usual fawning…with the usual screams. It was all so…predictable now… He shook his head as he lifted his bony hand to his temple and rubbed it. It was a habit he held from when he had been alive but it still served to calm him.

He heard Zero barking and turned to see that his ghost companion held a letter in his mouth. He frowned. He didn't usually receive letters. Everyone he knew lived in Halloweentown and could simply come calling or talk to him on the street. Though there _was_ one person… He smiled softly as he saw the name on the letter. He opened it up and read it quickly before smiling brightly down at Zero "My sister is getting married!"

He had hoped that something would happen to get him out of this funk he seemed to find himself in. This was just the thing! He hurriedly packed his bags and looked distractedly around his tower. It seemed that everything important he already had. He whistled to Zero and they hurried to the Land of the Dead. It wasn't that far of a walk.

He wandered aimlessly down the streets with Zero hovering around his heels trying to sniff out where Emily could be. He shook his head; this place was terribly disorganized…though since no one was in a rush it usually didn't matter. He was about to turn down an alley when a form rushed into his own.

He looked down at a little skeleton dog and gave a soft smile of amusement when Zero began to play with it. "It's been a long time since you've had a new friend Zero…" He said warmly as the two dogs played with each other.

A few moments later Jack looked up when he heard hurried breathing. That was strange…No one here should have to trouble with breathing anymore. He saw a young man with a simple suit with a slender stature approach him. He was pale with dark eyes and messy dark hair. Though he was attractive that wasn't what caught Jack's attention. The man was _alive_.

Victor had panicked when Scraps had simply taken off. He was having a hard enough time navigating this town without losing his only friend in it. He sighed in relief when he saw that Scraps had simply made a new friend. He looked up and took a step back in fright when he saw there was a skeleton looking back at him. Briefly he wondered when he started thinking skeletons _could_ look but pushed the thought away. There were larger issues at hand.

"Um…Hello I don't mean to disturb you my dog got away from me you see…" His voice trembled as it always did and he wished for once he could be stronger or at least more confident. Who would want to marry such a weak man after all?

Looking down at the young man Jack resisted the urge to laugh in amusement. The young man may be living but he was certainly higher strung than anyone here. "Not a problem at all." He said graciously "Zero rarely has the chance to make new friends. I'm Jack Skellington, pleasure to meet you." He offered his hand as he smiled down at this interesting fellow.

Victor could feel the blush rising to his cheeks even as relief filled him. Jack was the only one here to introduce himself properly and act at least a little civilly. It helped him relax enough to offer his own hand as he said "I'm Victor Van Dort…T-the pleasure is all mine really. I've had a terrible time here and…well meeting someone so…ah civil as you really is quite welcome."

Jack's smile grew at the young man…he was just so _endearing_. He would have to thank Zero later for leading him to this treat. "Yes…It certainly seems that you're not from around here…What are you doing here anyways?" He was curious to see how a _living_ human had gotten down here in the first place.

Victor thought he was going to cry. No one else had cared how he had gotten here or if he wanted to return. They all assumed e was going to marry the Corpse Bride when it had all been an accident. He shook his head "It's a terribly long story…I-I'm not sure if I quite understand it all myself you see…"

Jack nodded in sympathy. It would be a hard spot for any human to be in…and this one certainly seemed delicate. "Well I'm supposed to meet up with my sister…why don't you come with me and then we can help you find your way back?"

He didn't know why but seeing this fragile looking human in distress…did something to him. He had made a career out of making humans cry and scream. Yet this one…Jack was almost afraid of saying 'boo' in case he frightened the young man.

Blinking his dark eyes up at the stranger Victor tried not to let his hope get carried away "B-but why would you try to help me? No one else has…"

Jack couldn't resist and put hand on the Victor's shoulder and slowly moved closer "Because it's the right thing to do…" He was very _very_ tempted to touch Victor's skin and feel that heat against his cold bones…but it would be too much right now. Working in Halloweentown did have its perks after all. One of them being that he could go to the surface world despite being dead. It was only supposed to be done on Halloween of course…but he had learned through experimentation he could return to the surface whenever he wished.

Victor was ashamed to find himself leaning into this stranger. He excused himself by thinking any other person would do the same. It was from exhaustion…not from any inappropriate feelings. He closed his eyes in shame. His parents had thought him virtuous because of his lack of interest in women…they knew nothing about the shameful thoughts he had for men…And to think he was feeling the same way towards a dead man! He truly was a shameful person.

Jack caught the flutter of emotions and before he even realized what he was doing he was cupping Victor's chin so that the human was looking up at him "Is something else wrong? You seem distressed."

As the exchange took place Scraps and Zero watched their master's side by side. Both of them were expressing their happiness as they watched. They nodded at each other pleased that this random chance seemed to work out so well for both of them.

Victor thought his blood didn't know what to do. It wanted to rush to his face because of their closeness…but it also wanted to drain away in fear of his horrid condition being revealed…or perhaps most of all…reacting…to the closeness.

Knowing that the delicate human would not appreciate it if he took things too fast Jack released him and backed away. He didn't know what had come over him…He supposed it was how demure the young man was that attracted him…Everyone who he came in contact with had lost most of their restrictions because of death or because they hadn't been born with them in the first place. Seeing someone this shy and withdrawn was almost intoxicating…Even Sally had more spirit than he did.

The air between them was tense with pent up emotions. Victor took a step back to get some fresh air and said "L-let's find your sister…Then we can find a way for me to get home."

Jack was suddenly regretting his eager promise he had made earlier. A new thought occurred to him…Emily was proving a bit difficult to find…It would probably take him a while longer to find her…_Especially_ if he went in the wrong direction. "Of course…Follow me."

Unfortunately luck was not with Jack that night. Or maybe it was and had a devious way of showing it. As he turned to go in the direction that _left_ The Land of The Dead he heard a familiar voice call out excitedly to him "Jack!" It was his sister Emily.

Emily had been certain she had heard familiar voices. She was surprised to find Jack talking with Victor. She was about to call out to them when she noticed something very important. She had spent most of her life amongst the living and her entire life amongst the dead looking for it. So when she saw it she knew exactly what it was. Love. Jack was smiling a tender smile down at Victor…his expression seemed so soft somehow. And Victor! He was blushing, his eyes darting shyly around as he tried to hide his emotions. She felt a small twinge where her heart had once been. She hadn't wanted to give Victor back to his human bride…but the thought of him being with her brother…The thought that she could do something to give her brother the happiness he so desperately was seeking…That didn't bother her so much.

Coming up to her brother Emily gently took his shoulder and led him a bit away from Victor. "Jack…" She said softly "That's Victor...We were to be married but…I'm realizing we're a bit too different. Would you mind showing him the way home?"

Jack looked at Emily in confusion before understanding took its place. He gently took her hand in his own and asked "Are you sure…This is your chance to…" She pressed a bony finger to his lips to stop him from speaking.

Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes "I've waited all my life for love Jack…I know it when I see it. Don't let it go to waste." She had finally come to terms with the fact that after waiting this long love was not what would set her free. She closed her eyes and accepted that and gave out a sigh of relief as she felt herself break apart into butterflies and flutter away. She was at peace now.

Jack watched them go and turned when he heard Victor come up behind him. Victor looked at him in confusion as he asked "W-was that Emily? What's happening…?"

Too stunned to really explain Jack merely shook his head "It seems she had what she needed after all…"

Victor stared at Jack stunned. So what did that mean for him…? He didn't like that smile that Jack was flashing him…

Victor didn't know if it was because his brain was slow or that Jack was fast but suddenly hard bony lips were pressed against his own and he was too terrified to react or reject. He looked up into the dark sockets that were looking down at him and the bony smile that was on Jack's face. He was starting to realize he was now in a lot more trouble than he was before…When Jack kissed him again and he felt the stone of the wall dig into his back it brought him out of his shock enough to gently press his own flesh covered lips against Jack's.

This time when they parted Victor knew that his blood had finally made a decision and was currently making this situation _very_ uncomfortable. He decided then and there he would have to have the take the Draught of Ages…because he was already a fop, he wasn't about to become a necrophiliac as well.

I hope you guys enjoyed the story! I have wanted to do this pairing for a while now so I'm glad I finally managed to get this one shot together. Took a little work and sorry there's no lemon but it would have been too rushed! Still I hope you enjoyed it and that it made you smile!


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